Author: KatrinaKoltes

It’s a really exciting day for me today… I will be having my first SOLO AUCTION EVER! omg…!

I have been soooo busy these last months painting and creating in preparation for this event.

It’s hard to imagine that just a couple years ago I was sitting at a check-in desk dreaming of becoming a full-time artist.

I worked for years in the airport, crazy night shifts, double shifts, stressing hours and passengers, working over weekends and holidays, just work work work like crazy. And I was extremely unhappy. When you do something you aren’t passionate about, when you get up at 3:00 am to do an early shift just so you can have the afternoon free and do some art, or stay up after the kids go to bed and paint knowing you only have 3 hours of sleep before you have to go to work.. These are all things that make you wonder, what the heck? Why don’t I defy all reason and follow my dream? Why don’t I take that leap, leave all else behind and be the one thing that I ever wanted to be since I was little? When I sneaked paper and pencil in bed after lights out to draw under a flashlight, or kept a broken oil pastel in my pocket ruining my best skirt? When all the kids where playing ball in the yard while I sketched my stories on paper…

And then one day that young teenager full of hopes and dreams, had her world suddenly fall apart. A dark cloud passed over my life and I forgot about my oil pastels, my paper and pencil, I forgot about everything. I did what I must to survive. I put my dreams aside, and “got on” with life.

Many years passed after that, where I hardly even picked up a pencil. I pretty much had locked away my dreams and threw away the key…

Then, one day, not many years ago things started to change. The dream I held on to as a kid started to re-surface. I tried my best to push it back, to ignore the calling. I had a family now to support after all, weren’t artists always portrayed as starving people dressed in rags? (lol!) In any case, I fell into a deep depression, thinking I would always be stuck in a job I wasn’t passionate about, doing something I couldn’t care less about, draining me day after day. I felt completely numb inside. Everything seemed impossible, like a weight that pulled me down down down to the very depths of desperation. My body had a sudden and total collapse. I just…stopped functioning.

And as I lay in that hospital bed I thought, “what the hell am I doing? Nobody is going to change this life for me, I have to do something about it and right away, before it’s too late…”

That year for me was one of the most difficult of my life. I went through some very dark times, my life turned upside down, the “old me” faded away and began to make space for the new me.

An open page… A new start.

It took still some more years until I finally could leave my job and become a full-time artist. It’s a big step and a difficult one, but here I am. It’s not impossible. I am following that dream of that little girl who longed to be an artist. Of that teenager who was too hurt, and too afraid to follow her dream, and so locked it away for what seemed like forever.

And tomorrow, for the first time I am having an online solo auction, two days just for me to share my art in the spotlight, and I’m scared like crazy. I’m filled with uncertainty…

I keep wondering, will anyone show up? What if I’m not good enough? And that, I imagine, is something we all experience as artists. Heck, every time I put out a new online class, I have the same fear, the same uncertainty.

But then I think of all those years I wasted away, and think, “no…NO more fear. No more uncertainties. We are the ones who make our own life my friends, we make our own dreams. Never hold them back.

Always move forward, no matter how scary it is.

I want to thank you all for your continued support, encouragement, and love! I certainly wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all of you who follow me, encourage me, and believe in me. And a HUGE thank you to dear Olga Furman, for believing in me and making this possible ❤ ❤ ❤

I hope to see you there tomorrow, even just to cheer me on, or who knows, maybe you will find something you can treasure in your homes. 🙂

I will have over 30 original pieces between paintings, drawings, and clay sculptures, of all sizes and prices ranges, plus some reproductions. A little something for everyone, plus lots of fun giveaways! 🙂

We start tomorrow (Tuesday) at 12pm Eastern time.. I hope to see you there! 🙂

To join the event at the Heartful Soul AC you can click here (remember to click on “going” so you can see the posts!)

I have some wonderful & exciting news! I am going to be teaching on Ever After again this year, woohoo! 😀

And even MORE exciting news is that I can give away 1 space on this magical new collaborative art course! Keep reading if you want to find out more about Ever After and if you want to find out how you can win a spot! 🙂

First let me tell you a bit more about Ever After in case you haven’t heard about it yet! “Ever After” is a mixed media art & style development course with a fairytale theme hosted by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts. Tam is joined by 14 popular mixed media art teachers who will all share beautiful fairy-tale & myth inspired lessons with you AND they will also divulge all their hints and tips on how they developed their own style and how YOU TOO can find your own unique voice as an artist! 🙂 Yay!
You can find out all the deets (and sign up with the Early Bird price) by clicking HERE

My chosen fairy tale is the Lady Galadriel, also known as the “Lady of light” from Lord of the rings, and I have some fabulous ideas cooking!

I’ve not fully developed my class idea yet, but I’m excited to be sharing with you my love for painting Elves and everything fantasy, much like you can see in these paintings!

Anithea

Registration opens on May 15th 2018 and the class begins on July 1st 2018.

So if you want to start your summer drawing and painting fairy-tales, exploring your own personal story and style and hang out with a wonderful creative community of like-minded souls, be sure to join once registration opens! 🙂

Keep this page bookmarked so that you can sign up the moment it goes on sale! 🙂

Now then, onto the give-away and blog hop! 🙂 I can give away 1 space on this year’s Ever After to 1 lucky winner, yay! 🙂 And if you follow the blog hop (see below for links and dates) you can up your chances of winning a space by entering all the other give-aways also! 🙂

How to enter the give-away

1. Share this give-away on Facebook or twitter (or other social media)

just opened for registration! Yay!!! And guess what? I’m a guest teacher! Whoo-hoo!

I’m so excited to be a part of this amazing course, because well, for one I grew up travelling! And I truly believe that getting to know different countries, cultures and lifestyles can not only enrich your lifestyle and broaden your perspective, but also gift you so much in your art!

So Olga Furman had this wonderful idea of creating this amazing collaborative workshop to be able to bring these countries and cultures right to you, isn’t that fun?!

You are invited to join us for one of a kind, unforgettable adventure!

We will “travel” around the world and create art, inspired by different countries and traditions!

And all that – from the convenience of your own home! 😀

In this course I’m inviting you with me to “visit”….

I’m going to be teaching two lessons:

Project #1

The Venetian Mask

We will travel back into the eighteenth century to a very special place where art is everywhere you look. From the narrow noisy streets to the huge piazza with towering domes, from the colorful flowered balconies to the arched bridges overlooking green canals dotted with gondolas… yes, we are talking about the magical city of Venice!

We will discover the dramatic Venetian carnival costumes and extravagant masks which made Venice so world-famous and discover the history of expressive color and artistic creations.

Art lesson: We will paint the portrait of an eighteenth century woman dressed extravagantly for a carnival dance, with mixed media incorporating beautiful collage, and hand-made paper, similar to these paintings below..

Project #2: (Bonus lesson)

We move further south down into the beautiful, sun-kissed countryside of Tuscany, where the beautiful colors of vineyards, olive trees and poppy fields warm your heart and awaken your creativity.

Art lesson: We will paint a Tuscan countryside in acrylic using loose, thick brushstrokes and bright splashes of color.

All the video lessons are downloadable and you get a lifetime access*

To find out who are the other artists, what countries you will be visiting” with them and what kind of art will be creating click HERE

Hi creative friends and artists

As you know in my last blogpost I was a bit on the down-side and discouraged and had lost that creative fire for a bit. Yes, it happens to all of us!

Deep Red – By Paolo Ricci

But just a few days ago, I went to visit a good friend of mine. He began showing me his latest work and I got so inspired and couldn’t wait to get back to my studio and start painting!

So today I’m super excited to present to you here on my blog , an amazingly talented photographer Paolo Ricci, who’s work is so inspiring and just plain awesome!

He loves to create these dreamy and fantasy worlds from his imagination with the camera and digital art, just like I so enjoy painting them!

Oops I forgot the faucet on again – By Paolo Ricci

His work is not only super inspiring, but I have also had the pleasure to work alongside him, and on the other side of the camera, where we created some super dreamy and fun atmospheres that makes you want to get out your paintbrush start painting!

The lady of the cliff – by Paolo Ricci

In fact, I have his permission to use all his work as reference photos, which is really exciting, my mind is brimming with ideas already!

You can check out more of Paolo Ricci’s work over on his website where his incredible work is also available for purchase as digital prints! I have seen some of these large prints and they really create some amazing atmosphere where they are displayed.

I also enjoy the titles as they all have an ironic or comical twist, which is both fun and original.

It’s raining fish – by Paolo Ricci

So without much further ado, I’ll let you check out his work and be inspired!

Have you ever been battled with discouragement and with the feeling of giving up?

I know I have. Many times.

Sometimes, after all the work you put into what you do, all the dedication, the sleepless night spent working at your desk….It just takes one little thing and you start to question yourself “what am I doing? Are people even interested in what I have to say? Is it even worth it?”

You start to question your own authenticity. You start to ask yourself, “Am I good enough? What am I doing wrong? Why am I feeling like this and what did I do to deserve it?” And you wonder what in the world you’ve been doing up until now.

Let me tell you the answer to this: Nothing.

IT HAPPENS TO ALL OF US.

Sure, people make mistakes, we all do. That doesn’t mean we aren’t worthy, aren’t authentic, aren’t ‘good enough’. Because let me tell you, if up until now you’ve been authentically sharing your talent, sharing your feelings, and sharing your heart, without expecting anything in return you are doing exactly the right thing

Somewhere along this path you are bound to get discouraged, people will put you down, or you might even feel like giving up. It’s all part of the journey. It happens to every one of us. The important thing is to NOT GIVE UP.

Let me say that again: NEVER GIVE UP. No matter what.

Keep sharing your heart, keep shining your light even when you feel it’s about to blow out. Keep being that guiding light to others who are battling with the same. We all can encourage and lift up each other.

And here are some things helped me in those dark times and might be useful to you too..

“Never give up” – by Katrina Koltes

Paint it out. Get out your charcoal, and start scribbling. You’d be surprised what comes out of that! Get out your paints, and start painting. Paint yourself and what you feel like that very moment. It’s incredibly healing and calming. Here is what I painted the other day when I was feeling just like that..

Take a walk in the nature. You’d be surprised at what a brisk walk does to get your heart pumping and blood running. Breathe big huge gulps of air, breath it all in, deep breaths. Then exhale. Breathe out all that poison. Imagine it washing you clean, making you whole, making you shine again.

“Love is like a garden” – by Katrina koltes

Spend times with your friends loved ones. There’s no one in the world that knows you better than your loved ones (other than yourself). They know what you’ve been through, they’ve seen all the dedication, love and hard work you’ve been pitting into what you do. They love you for what you are, without asking anything in return. Bask in that love and let it rekindle your fire of hope.

Take some time to meditate in silence and focus inwards. Even better if while out in the nature. Use crystals to help you center. If I’m needing some comfort, or inner strength, or positivity I would use Agate or Jasper. If I need to get centered and feel more balance and grounded I’d use green calcite or malachite. You know yourself better than anyone else. You know what you’ve been through to get where you are today. you know you matter. You know you are loved. hold out your hands, imagine you are holding all the love you give, day after day, and then bring it over your heart giving yourself back all that love. Let it flow through you, warming you, making you feel whole again.

I hope I’ve encouraged you to keep shining you light even when you don’t feel like it. Keep posting your work, keep creating, and don’t let it get to you. Turn it into an opportunity, a lesson to ask yourself, what can I do better? What can I do to make my journey even more magical? What can I do to help others who are going through this very thing right now? What can I do even better?

It’s been exactly one month since the classroom has opened for my latest workshop “Watercolor Dreams – painting dreamy portraits”!

It has been an amazing experience with so many wonderful and enthusiastic students who are doing some amazing artwork!

As I compiled this video and read all the feedback from everyone I was moved to tears.. There is nothing that makes me more happy than to see these kind of wonderful results and all the love and support the students have been giving each other and myself in the class. It’s what makes it all so worth it… All those long hours of planning, filming, editing, and getting putting myself out there, all this makes up for it and so much more…

Here is some of what the students are saying of this class:

I have loved to be able to finally start using my watercolors that have been sitting in my drawer waiting for the day to start painting, and what better way than drawing dreamy girls portraits as well! Just really so happy to have come across your stunning art and classes Katrina! –Sandra Kingsley

This class has helped me along with confidence in my creative journey especially in watercolor . A very supportive and caring space to share and grow with other like-minded people . Tons of creative fun too!! – Susan Morrison

I have been very nervous of using water colors up to now. This class has really helped me understand and become confident with this medium. I really don’t think I could be without my water colors now! Would highly recommend Katrina classes to anyone.–Debbie Jamison Kershaw

I have already learned so much and what I love about the lessons is that I want to do them over and over again! You learn so much and they are so inspiring! – Kathryn De Ford

The warm up was a huge help in breaking through the “fear” I have associated with watercolors. The love and support you give, has been a gift in this journey of creativity! -Michelle Fiore Wimmers

I’ve gone from frustration with watercolor to looking forward to the next project ! Using watercolor brushes instead of acrylic brushes and hot press paper have really helped. Love this class! – Luanne Green

You have helped to unblock me from using watercolors. You opened up a whole world to me! I’m on a new Journey with watercolors and never would have been if weren’t for this workshop! I thought it was a fabulous adventure!!! – Robyn Weinrib

Because of the repeated times you painted a face it really had a chance to nurture my understanding of the medium. I definitely have seen an improvement in my ability to paint a face with watercolor and for that I am so grateful to you. Your style of teaching and telling us why you were using color here or water there made learning very easy. – Catherine Valenti

I never really was interested in watercolor as I thought it would be to difficult for me to learn but after taking Watercolour Dreams it is now one of my favourite mediums. You really explain well in your lessons how to achieve a well planned, beautifully blended layout. I still have much to learn but now have the confidence to explore watercolour. Thank you so much for that. –Dianne Theresa Lacourciere

I never thought I could paint such beautiful, delicate faces. Thank you! – Sherry Porter Moore

If you want to learn watercolor with an amazing teacher, Katrina is the ONE! Not only does she give excellent instructions….she is available to help or answer questions….that’s a big deal for me! – Fay Badger Goode

I have learned watercolour shading in new ways that has helped me be more relaxed with creating and not stressed out, the course has also helped me expand with my art supplies mixing it with watercolour, Katrina is an awesome teacher and I love her teaching, I learned a lot from this course! -Om-Ra Ra

I love your teaching style! Although I have a long ways still to go, the things I learned in this class have dramatically improved my watercolor skills; such as, mixing skin tones and not getting hard edges. Thank you so much! You keep teaching classes and I will keep attending. -Laurie-Joe Sweeting

I‘ve learnt so much about colours and layering. Have always been slightly scared of watercolours and tend to give up as I think its far too technical for me. But your videos explain everything and you made it so much more accessible and easy to follow. I was literally bouncing with joy when i saw my girl’s face emerge with real skin tones and form. You’ve changed my attitude to watercolours as now i really want to do more. Thank you! – Lesley Lacrombe

I truly loved your style of teaching, first and foremost. It’s very calming and encouraging and relaxed. I always avoided drawing different angles of the face, but your class challenged me to do it, and I am so happy I tried! Also, being totally new to watercolor I learned so much about technique (starting with very light, diluted layers and building up from there), creative backgrounds and just playing without worrying to much of where it’s going. I enjoyed this journey!!! Thank you – Corina Anatavada

Thank you to all of you friends and students for giving me this opportunity to make my dreams come true, to be a fulltime artist and teacher, and share my knowledge and heart with you!!!